Investigation of factors affecting the readiness for the adoption of sustainable building materials

Abstract

Purpose

Adopting sustainable building materials (SBMs) is one way to reduce the negative environmental impacts of the built environment. However, the adoption of SBMs is not as high as expected. This study aims to investigate which factors affect the adoption of SBMs.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review and discussions with professional practitioners formed an initial list of variables affecting readiness to adopt SBMs. A questionnaire survey was designed, and data from industrial practitioners were collected using the snowball sampling method. The data collected from 218 respondents were analyzed using the PLS-SEM technique.

Findings

The findings show that SBM adoption is critically influenced by readiness at different levels (market, organization, and employee). Specifically, market readiness enhances organization preparedness (beta = 0.628), and organization readiness positively affects employee readiness (beta = 0.510). Market, organization, and employee readiness positively impact the adoption of SBMs (beta = 0.386, 0.364, and 0.158, respectively). Moreover, the relationship between market and employee readiness is fully mediated by organization readiness (indirect effect = 0.320; p = 0.000). Organization readiness positively mediates the relationship between market readiness and SBM adoption (indirect effect = 0.050; p = 0.001). The relationship between organization readiness and SBM adoption is fully mediated by employee readiness (indirect effect = 0.229; p = 0.000). Additionally, employee readiness positively mediates the relationship between market readiness and SBM adoption through organization readiness (indirect effect = 0.080; p = 0.000).

Originality/value

While past studies have predominantly focused on human perception, this study recognizes the importance of contextual factors like market conditions, Organization readiness, and employee readiness in shaping the adoption of SBMs. Thus, it fills a notable void in the literature and highlights the need for a broader theoretical framework that incorporates both individual perceptions and external contextual influences.

Citation

Nguyen, M.V. and Duy Ha, K. (2024), "Investigation of factors affecting the readiness for the adoption of sustainable building materials", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-12-2023-1268